The City of West Hollywood invites YOU to help shape the cultural experiences WeHo will develop for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games! How will we honor the Olympic spirit while showcasing West Hollywood’s rich diversity and creative talent?

We want your voice and imagination! Join Drag Laureate Pickle, City Poet Laureate Jen Cheng, and Odius Ari at one of our interactive Community Conversations, and share your feedback below. Help inspire an arts tradition that reflects our City’s spirit and will resonate for years to come. Co-create a concept designed to connect our community's priorities and elevate the Games in West Hollywood.

Don’t miss this chance to help shape the legacy of the Olympics in West Hollywood!

The City is working with AEA Consulting to establish a plan (purpose, goals, and vision) for the West Hollywood Art Project during the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. A series of community engagement sessions will take place November 2024 through February 2025.

The Art Project could take the form of an arts and cultural event, experience, and/or activity. By engaging in a visioning exercise, the city will have time to develop ideas and perspectives for an experience that will spark dialogue, ignite imaginations, and leave a lasting impression on all who attend.

For updates and information related to the City of West Hollywood’s preparations for the Games visit weho.org/OLYMPICS.

INVENTING TRADITIONS

On October 25, 2024, the Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission received a presentation from AEA Consulting and approved a theme of “Inventing Traditions” to inform the Art Project. This theme serves the City in the following ways:

• Builds on the Olympic spirit, a tradition itself reinvented over time, and the Los Angeles region’s Olympic arts legacy, from the 1932 Cultural Olympiad to the transformative 1984 Olympic Arts Festival, and reflects West Hollywood’s evolution as a global leader in art and culture.
• Enables West Hollywood to collaborate within the larger framework of LA28 while honoring its unique identity as a creative center.
• Offers endless possibilities for interdisciplinary artists, organizations, culinary, design, and fashion talents to contribute to a shared artistic vision and collectively define new, sustainable traditions that celebrate the City’s values and progressive spirit, ensuring a lasting cultural impact that extends well beyond the Olympic Games.

HISTORY OF THE CULTURAL OLYMPIAD

The Cultural Olympiad is a series of artistic and cultural events organized in the lead-up to and during the Olympic Games, highlighting the intersection of art, culture, and sport. Rooted in the vision of Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics, it integrates performances, exhibitions, and workshops to celebrate creativity alongside athletic achievements. These events serve as a platform to showcase the cultural heritage of the host country while promoting global cultural exchange and dialogue. Over time, the Cultural Olympiad has evolved to include interdisciplinary works, fostering innovation in art and education tied to Olympic values. Programs often span multiple art forms, including music, dance, visual arts, and interactive exhibitions, aiming to leave a lasting cultural legacy alongside the sporting achievements of the Games